The Final Furlong

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Hello again Dottles

I do hope they can arrange for some help with your marking - especially as you are covering a colleague.

How exciting to have a decision made about your future - i hope the figures from the pension are good for you.

I love your lists, plans and updates about your days. I thought i was the only one who 'lost' days due to running round for others or for appointments when everyone else seems to manage so well and fit these in to their days seemlessly.

I also need to lose some weight - I have a lovely wardrobe of clothes - if only i could fit into them

Have a good day

beanielou

Good plan.

Dottles1

I'm much better at saying no to people than I used to be Stripey and I did say no to picking him up again. I think my son knows exactly how to get round me, it was the same when he was 3 !!
Had a fab day today at the Country Living Christmas Fayre. I took a budget and a list with me and came back with £10 having bought several of the gifts I had left to buy. Very happy with my haul. My friend drove so I bought 2 rounds of coffee through the day and we took our own sandwiches so very MSE. I did buy some wax melts for my burner but we bought a box of 10 between us and split them costing us £5 each.
I didn't get all the marking done yesterday so I'm going to do a couple more this evening and finish off in the morning. However, everything else on yesterday's list was completed. I'm going to crack on as I want to watch Elizabeth is Missing at 9pm
I hope you are all cosied up whatever you are doing.
Dottles x

Dottles1

Evening (or should I say morning?) all.
I've been very busy work wise hence the absence for a few days. I managed to get load 1 of marking finished and commence load 2 tomorrow to be finished before next Friday (load 3 is due in this Friday) and beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. I've been told that there is no help to be had with this at the moment so will have to crack on. I'm trying to just look at one load at a time rather than panic. Then to top it off I realised that I had miscalculated colleagues return and will have to do the long day again tomorrow I keep thinking just one more week to go.
I fell asleep as soon as I had eaten this evening and so here I am wide awake !!
I don't feel I've had time to update my finances this week, the just for points card needs paying and I need to tot up Christmas spends and to balance the budget but I can do it on Friday as private work has been cancelled. That will put me £50 down but at least they have re-booked for the following week. It is GD3's birthday on Friday so will pop over to see her and might go for a coffee. She has asked for cash which has already been put aside and card bought. I have 2 vouchers left to buy for Christmas gifts and something for my brother and his partner- not sure yet what to get them - and then I'm done.
I get paid for December on the 20th so at least I'll be able to sort out the budget before I go away as I'm good at putting the money aside until January. There have been too many New Years in the past where I have no money left at the start of January and everything has had to go on the credit card due to Christmas overspends. I'm expecting a little carry over of expenses but at least it will be accounted for and the final year this will happen as I will have a Christmas pot in place for next year. Anyway, that is all for Friday.
I have struggled to manage NSD's this week so determined to have one tomorrow. They haven't been big spends but spends never the less. Today would have been but I had the chance of a brand new pair of Sketchers for £18 through a friend of a friend who bought the wrong size and lost the receipt. I have problems with arthritis in my feet and was going to have to buy some anyway so couldn't pass up the chance of saving around £40. Anyway I have a quiet weekend planned and if I organise the essential spending for Friday I should be able to get back on track.
On Tuesday evening my GS took me out for a meal in the village. He had won some money and thought it would be nice to spend some time with me. The food was great and it was good to catch up with him. He lived with me for about 10 years and so is more like a son than a GS. I feel blessed that he thought of doing that.
Still wide awake here so I might get up and make a cup of tea. Experience tells me that usually can help rather than worrying that I'll be tired tomorrow. I might plan some jobs to fit in tomorrow.
Good night anyone who is still awake.
Dottles x

beanielou

Bargain on the Sketchers.
What a lovely GS .

Dottles1

He is Beanie, I may be a little biased but he has grown to be a lovely young man. I'm pleased to report that the Sketchers are really comfortable my feet are thanking me already.
I finished my final (at last) long shift last night and have slept like a baby. I didn't wake up until 7:50 which is unheard of for me and so feeling full of get up an go this morning which is good as I have a fair bit to get through today.

housework
grocery shopping -done
visit GD3 as it's her birthday - done and took her for brunch
walk Tilly - done
write and post the remaining xmas cards -done
wrap gifts
deliver FB sale - done
go to friends to collect wrapping paper and gift box -done
balance budgets - done
pay just for points card - done
marking
checking clothes for packing
buy gift voucher - done
present for brother and partner

I do love a list. To be fair, some of these jobs will probably carry over into the weekend but I want to get as many done today as possible to give me some me time before next week.
I'm off to make a copy and write a shopping list whilst I drink it.
Here's hoping you have a good day all
Dottles x

Dottles1

Good morning to you all, and a very festive one at that.
I've slept late again this morning so I feel like I'm catching up with sleep levels at last. The postman has just knocked with a parcel so that leaves just one more to be delivered - nearly there. I have another voucher to buy(went yesterday but they'd run out) and brother's and his partner's presents and then I'm done. I completed most of my list yesterday - 10/14 tasks so happy with that. I was planning to make today a NSD but might crack on instead, we'll see.
I have all meals planned now up to when I go away so there should be no need to buy anything now. It feels very strange, organised but not if you know what I mean. I think it's because time seems to be passing so quickly.
I really must manage a chunk of marking today though I still can't see me completing it all in time. I'm not going to dwell on it as I've stated my position at work, I just don't like letting the students down.
I dropped off the FB sales last night so that was £10 to my funds and called at my friends as she had some spare wrapping paper she wanted rid of (I'm running out) and came away with gift tags and a couple of small boxes for jewellery gifts plus had a coffee, a mince pie and a catch up. Now that's my idea of shopping. So, if Foxglove is reading, not only shopping from home but shopping from somebody else's. Ooh and I've been offered a fee coat for Tilly so need to pick that up this morning.
Well it's no good sitting here when I have loads to do, I'd better get up and at it.
Speak later my friends
Dottles x

Dottles1

Yesterday was a good day. Friend A came round in the morning and brought breakfast (always welcome) and some curtains for my living room. I've been living with the ones that came with the house which has seen better days. She helped me to put them up and they look fab and if I change the cushion colours will fit in beautifully. In return I gave her a full bottle of perfume that had been gifted to me but I didn't like - luckily she did.
I managed to get some marking done and will do some more today but there is no chance it will be finished for Friday. I have decided to tell them that tomorrow and see what solution they can come up with, after all, I am not a machine. I managed to get some housework done which will probably do until Friday, there is still a lot of wrapping paraphernalia out in the living room but that should be away by then.
I dropped off a present to a friend D who I won't see now before Christmas and caught up with DS, DIL and GD4 over a cuppa. I also made a lentil and veg casserole in the pressure cooker for tea with some left for today. I have broccoli in the freezer so that will do nicely. Yesterday was also a NSD making it 6/10 so far this month.
Today however, will definitely not be NSD. I need to buy one more card and post it along with another before it's too late. Also I must buy brother and partner's gifts. I have some points for both Boots and WH Smith so will have a mooch there to see if anything inspires me.
I have managed to do a fair bit of packing with just a few bits to add but must remember to print out all my documents at work and make sure I have necessary numbers in my phone. I also need to buy insurance so will put that on today's spendy list.
I'm off to do some of the jobs for today but may check in later.
I hope you all have an efficient or restful day, whichever suits.
Dottles x

Dottles1

Well I've done all jobs planned for today except for the voucher I want for my GD2 and her partner as they have run out. I'm promised they will have them back in on Wednesday so we'll see. I now have quite a bit of wrapping to do but will put some time aside each evening to do a bit. I'm about to take Tilly out while tea is warming then get my head down to marking. I did have non MSE moment today though. Did my shopping at Boots taking advantage of their 3 for 2 deals, all lovely stuff. However, when I got to the till I realised that I'd left my advantage card at home grrr !! That's what I get for not checking my purse. I couldn't bring myself to battle through the traffic and carpark again so bought them anyway and I'll use the £7.50 of points for birthday presents To my credit I did take my receipt to the small Boots in the village when I got home, to have the points added to my card. Still very annoying though.
It's freezing here so heating has gone on and a brisk walk with Tilly should help.
Keep warm my friends.
Dottles x

Dottles1

Back into work for me today, a mix of tutorials and marking. It looks like I will be getting some help after all in response to me saying that it won't get done for Friday That takes the pressure off a bit.
It was seriously cold here this morning with a hard frost, making me feel quite festive. I prefer it to the grey drizzly weather we've been having lately. One more gift arrived today so that just leaves the gift voucher to buy tomorrow and a small item to arrive in the post. Nearly there !!
I can't wait for Friday to arrive, I have some private work in the morning and then officially finished as of lunch time. I can then get on with finishing my packing and sorting what needs to be done before Monday. I have a busy weekend ahead but I'm really looking forward to it. I will also sort the January budgets as I get paid (early) on Friday and will put the money away so there's no temptation to dip in to it. I have often done that in the past and had to contend with a very difficult January. Today has also been another NSD. I have 1 more to complete to make my target for December. That will probably be Thursday as I can't see it happening over the weekend.
I've set myself a target of 3 papers to mark before bed so I'd better get on with it.
Goodnight all
Dottles x